A husband-wife bet sparked a home bakery that keeps selling out every weekend

EDGEWATER, Md. — A bet between a husband and wife has turned into a thriving small business right outside their front door.

Rebecca McGuire started Little Orange Cart — a small orange cart parked just outside her family home — after a friendly wager with her husband. If she sold out her first weekend, he would build her something more permanent.

"I figured I would start a little something here on the street and I said to my husband, if I sell out the first weekend, will you make me something more permanent? And he was like, yeah, sure."

Four weeks later, McGuire's desserts have sold out every weekend.

"I am overwhelmed with gratitude. I certainly didn't expect it to be close to what it has been. I truly thought my mom's friends would show up or like family a few neighbors and it is turned into all of the people around here and then they're telling their neighbors and it's just really became a huge thing."

McGuire credits her passion for baking to time spent in her grandmother's kitchen growing up.

"I spent a lot of time with her growing up a lot of time in her kitchen and that was one of the things that I really loved to do with her is bake so I kind of just held onto that passion as I became an adult and we always said oh I'd love to be a baker when I grow up and that's so weird that I'm actually doing it."

For now, Little Orange Cart is open only on Saturdays. McGuire still works a full-time job in IT during the week, spending early mornings and late nights — sometimes all night — baking to prepare.

"Currently, I still work my 9 to 5 in IT and this is just something that I'm spending my early mornings and my late nights and sometimes all night doing but it brings me so much happiness. I do not care how sleep-deprived I am because when I come out here on Saturday mornings and there's a line of people at 8:30 in the morning it just makes it worth it."

Customers pay using a QR code linked to Zelle or Cash App, or with cash in a box left at the cart — an honor system McGuire says reflects her outlook on people.

"I like to believe that the world is full of mostly good people so we just put it out here and we leave the Little QR code for Zelle Cash app and whatever they want to pay with and there's also a cash box whichever way they want to pay works for us as long as they pay."

Beyond selling baked goods, McGuire is also giving back. She gives away cinnamon rolls to workers at various organizations that community members can nominate through Facebook, calling it a small way her family can contribute.

Her dream is to one day leave her IT career behind and bake full time. In the meantime, she plans to keep Little Orange Cart outside her home — and her husband is now on the hook to build something more permanent after she won the bet.

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